This is a rare opportunity to study with Elizabeth Johnson of Lerwick in the Shetland Isles. Elizabeth has made her living spinning and knitting in her native Shetland and comes occasionally to the US to share her knowledge and skill. Accompanying Elizabeth will be Martha Owen, resident spinner at the John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. Martha is a skilled spinner and knitter, a delightful teacher and co-owner of The Yarn Circle in Murphy, NC.

This two day class will include demonstration and instruction in spinning and knitting: The Spinning portion of the class will include fleece selection, carding techniques and methods of spinning yarn specifically designed for the traditional lace styles of Shetland knitting.

The Knitting portion of the class will be focused on the traditional style of Shetland lace knitting. Elizabeth will also demonstrate & teach the use of a knitting belt with long knitting pins.

Participants at any level are welcome to attend. Knitters who don’t spin are welcome to observe the spinning and even try their hand on a wheel. Spinners who do not knit are also welcome to sit in on the knitting. Rudimentary instruction will be available in both spinning and knitting.

The fee for the class is $125. There will be a small supply fee and fleece from Shetland will also be available for purchase. To register, email me to get my mailing address and then send a $50 deposit to hold your place.

I was thinking the other day about the way my husband refers to me as his bride -after 25 years of marriage. It occurred to me that I do not reciprocate this by calling him my groom - which made me laugh, but then led me down a new path, thinking about how the male terms for spouse - husband, groom - have or share their source with farming and livestock terms. Animal husbandry, a groom being a man who works with horses.

We don't find bride or wife in the same sources. There isn't much wifery of any kind in the modern world outside of midwifery. We had our three daughters at home with a midwife but I very well know that this is not a typical scenario in the U.S. today.

The only language I insisted on at our wedding was that the ministers declaration be of Husband & Wife rather than Man & Wife - I always found the latter rather demeaning. The wonderful man who presided over our wedding was so nervous about being outside his home church that he said various things that were not in the book at all - afflication for affection was the one we all remember! He got lost and had to start over and it was still one of the shortest wedding ceremonies ever.

All this serves as an intro to this rather interesting quiz that I found on Jennifer's blog today:

Weavolution

Books!

In spite of having sworn to pass up on all Jane Austen knock offs, I somehow felt that P D James might possibly get it right. Alas, I was mistaken, and I regret the hours devoted to reading this ponderous tale.

This is Daphne Du Maurier's second novel and it contains a lot of the angst and restlessness of a young man who has much to learn on his way to adulthood. A little angst goes a long way, but there is much in the writing that is evocativ...